KARACHI: The Sindh Cabinet Tuesday urged the electricity distribution companies to overhaul their system and install new transformers in their networks, particularly in the rural area of Sindh to facilitate the masses.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired the meeting of the provincial cabinet here at CM House on Tuesday, said a spokesperson of the CM Sindh.
Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Shaikh took up the issue of reported prolonged load shedding in the rural areas of Sindh and said that the old transformers installed in the rural areas usually burnt, and their repair took four to five weeks, as a result poor people suffer a lot.
The cabinet also decided to declare 11 posts of BS-21, including that of Chairman Planning & Development Board, Chairman CM Inspection & Enquiries Team, Chairman Anti-Corruption Establishment and Commissioner Karachi Division as floating posts in BS-20/BS-21.
The provincial cabinet took this decision in view of the shortage of the officers as on declaring such posts in BS-20/BS-21 as floating posts, the same can be filled from amongst BS-20 officers of Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Ex-PCS and PSS also on the basis of seniority.
The cabinet was told that the Sindh government, during the last three years, as on average has been facing 50 percent shortage of grade BS-21 officers of PAS, over 75 percent of BS-20 officers and 80 percent of grade BS-19 officers. Therefore the cabinet decided to declare 58 posts of grade BS-21 and BS-20 as floating posts.
The cabinet was told that due to shortfall of the PAS officers and cancellation of additional and look-after charges by the courts a large number of important posts were lying vacant which were adversely affecting the functioning of the provincial government institutions. In such a situation the ultimate sufferer was the general public.
It was told to the members of the cabinet that there were 25 posts of grade BS-21 in Sindh, of them 16 posts belonging to PAS as their share. Currently, only five officers of PAS were working and 11 posts [of grade BS-21] were vacant.
Similarly, out of 142 sanctioned posts of grade BS-20, the PAS has a share of 67 posts but only 19 officers are working, and 48 posts are vacant.
Out of 277 posts of grade BS-19 the PAS has a share of 59 posts against which only 25 officers are working, and 34 posts are vacant.
Sharing his views on the occasion, the CM Sindh said that filling up of at least important positions was sine qua non to ensure smooth functioning of government institutions and for effective and efficient service delivery system.
It was briefed to the participants of the meeting that the details of posts in the share of PAS, working strength and shortfall, were roughly worked out for the last six years.
The cabinet was told that Provincial Benevolent Fund Board (PBFB) was custodian of the benevolent fund and catered to the claims of subsistence allowance across provinces. The allowance is offered to the widow of the deceased government servant.
The chief secretary pointed out that the rules (Rule 10 of part-I and Rule 9 of Party-II) PBFB were silent on widower being the beneficiary. Therefore, the cabinet approved the amendment in the rule now it would be read as “Such grant shall be subject to the condition that the `widow’ or widower, shall, each month furnish to the Board a certificate in the form. On remarriage the grant shall cease forthwith.
It may be noted that an amount of Rs 5 billion is lying in the fund, out of which 45608 beneficiaries, including 41, 532 non-gazetted and 3, 634 gazetted taking benefit.
The fund pays to the family of deceased or invalidated government servants at the rate of Rs2000 for grade BS-1 to 15, Rs2500 for BS-16-19 and Rs3000 for BS-20-21.
Minister Women Development Department Shehla Raza requested the cabinet to approve merger of Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013 and its Rules 2016 with Child Protection Authority Act 2011 and amendment in the Bill 2021 of Social Welfare department.
The minister said that that the Child Marriage Restraint Act was initiated by the Women Development Department, but Women Development Department deals with female of age of 18 years and above and have proper residential places in shape of Dar-ul-Aman. The Girls under the age of 18 cannot be accommodated with elder ladies in Darul Aman.
The Social Welfare Department has facilities of Child protection units/ centres all over Sindh, therefore the cabinet approved the merger.
The cabinet also approved the rules of Animal health Karachi presented by Minister Fisheries & Livestock Bari Pitafi.
The chief minister directed his cabinet members to take personal interest to implement the development schemes of their departments in time.